Apparatus for handling green corn, &amp;c.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

D. W. ARQ ER. APPARATUS FOR, HANDLING GREEN com, &o.

. APPLICATION FILED APBHIZ, 1905.

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ZQEZ HEMC 1n: NORRIS PETERS ca wxsmmrrau u c N0.'872,9831 PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

' D. W. ARCHER.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GREEN CORN, 6co- APPLICATION IILED APR.12,19D5.

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DANIEL W. ARCHER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING GREEN CORN, &c.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed April 12. 1905. Serial No. 255,181.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL W. Anonnn, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicage, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain Apparatus for Handling Green Corn, 620., of which the fol lowing is a specification.

My invention is concerned with apparatus which is designed primarily for handling green corn in canning factories, although it will be apparent that it can be used for other purposes.

In such canning establishment's, the seasons crop has to be canned in a very few weeks, and it is essential to have apparatus by which the corn can be handled very rapidly, and at the same time it is frequently essential that the apparatus be arrangedso as to occupy as little ground space as possible, as such factories are usually located adjacent to terminal facilities where space is valuable. It is also necessary to have the apparatus arranged so that different varieties of corn can be taken in and stored or deposited in different parts of the building.

To these ends, the apparatus employed in my invention, speaking broadly, consists of the building having two or more floors providedwith a single conveying apparatus by which the green corn can be carried to any part of the building, and preferably also with a single corn-husk oonveyer by which the husks from any floor or part of the building can be readily carried away.

To illustrate my invention, I annex hereto two sheets of drawings in which the same reference characters are used to designate identic al parts in all the figures, and in which Figure 1 is a cross sectional view of a building or shed containing my invention, as applied to two floors; and Fig. 2 is a longitudinal central section through the line A-A of Fig. 1, but with the parts on a smaller scale.

In both figures, I have not illustrated the,

details of construction except in so far as they contain features of novelty.

In carrying out my invention, a building or shed 10 is employed, which may have as many floors 11 and 12 as desired. I have illustrated two floors, as that will ordinarily be sufficient for the average plant. At one end of the building will be located the customary scales and dump, not illustrated, but which are so arranged and located that the contents of a wagon can be conveniently dumped into a conveyor 13, at the point 14,

where it is preferably slightly below the ground level. This conveyer is illustrated diagrammatically merely, as its details form no part of my invention, as any desired form of conveyor may be employed, preferably a series of chutes in which run a pair of link belt chains connected by the customary slats so that as the chains are moved the corn will be carried thereby to any portion of the system. The conveyor will have the inclined portion 15 which leads to the top of the building at one end, and the succeeding horizontal portion 16 travels over the bottom of a trough 17 which is preferably located centrally of the building and near the comb of the roof. The bottom of thistrough is at suitable intervals provided with removable pieces 18, which are adapted to be drawn out to form apertures in the bottom over the troughs 19 and 20, which are of the same general construction, but which alternate, and discharge on opposite sides of the building. If a load of corn is to be delivered at any point upon the floor 11, the bottom piece 18 immediately adjacent thereto is pulled out and the corn is carried to the aperture thus opened and slides down the chute and onto the floor.

Beneath each of the chutes 19 and 20 are other chutes 21 and 22, which extend through the openings 23 in the floor 11, and are adapted to discharge their contents on the floor 12. 1 In order to enable me to deliver the contents at different points transversely of the floor, the troughs or chutes 21 and 22 are preferably made up of upper and lower sections hinged at 24, and the lower sections preferably have their sides at the upper ends extended beyond the ends of the sides of the upper'seotions as at' 25, so that the lower section can be swung within the limits indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1, without opening the sides. To enable me to conveniently control the positions of the lower sections of these chutes from the lower fioor, I secure to the sides thereof near the bottoms the bails 26, which have the rope 27 secured thereto and extending over the sheaves 28 and 29, and extended down to suitable fasteners 30 secured to any convenient portion of the building so that by loosening the ropes, the lower ends of the chutes can be swung to any desired position and readily secured there. When any load is to be discharged at any point on the lower floor, the chute 19 or 20, as the case may be,

. jections 32 secured to the inner sides of the troughs. ith the parts thus arranged, it will be apparent that corn carried up by the conveyer will pass down the chute 19 or 20, falling tl'irough the aperture 33 in the bottom thereof, opened by the raising of the trap door 31, thence upon the adjacent chute 21 or 22, and through the aperture 23 to the lower floor 12. These chutes are suitably supported from the framework of the building, which I will not describe in detail.

In order to carry oil the husks from the building, I provide the trough 34, extending longitudinally of the building and ust below the level of the floor 12. The bottom of this trough is occupied by .the conveying belt 35, which may be of any desired form, and which I have indicated more or less diagrammatically, and which is driven by any suitable power. Its discharge end is elevated, as indicated at 36, in orderthat the husks may be discharged into wagons to be carried away. To deliver the 'husks from. the upper floor 1-1 to this trough 34, I provide in the floor 11, preferably between the sections occupied by the/chutes 2]. and. 22, the openings .37, through which the husks are shoved and dropped on to the inclined chutes 38 which deliver the husks into the troughs. These chutes. are located between and supported from the vertical timbers 39, and as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, alternate with each other on the opposite sides. The top of the trough 341 is accessible between. the vertical timbers 39' from. all points of the floor 12, so that the husks from the lower floor can be shoved into the trough without any difficulty whatever.

By means of the apparatus herein shown and described, it will be apparent that I am enabled to expeditiously handle the corn anddeliver it to any desired position, in the build ing, and at the same time get rid of the h-usks as rapidly as they may accumulate, and. this without the employment of complicated or expensive apparatus, and with a minimum of ground space. l

While I have shown and described my invention as einbodiedin the form which I at present consider best to carry out its purposes, it will be understood that it is capable of modifications, and that I do not desire to be limited. in the interpretation of the following claims except as may be necessitated by the state of the prior art. I

What I claim. as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the conveyer, of a plurality of Working floors served thereby, one set of spouts leading from. the conveyer to an upper floor, another set leading from the upper floor to a lower one, means for discharging from the conveyer into any desired spout of the first series, and means for discharging from the spouts of the first series on to the upper floor or directly into the spouts of the second series, as may be desired.

2. In an apparatusof the class described, the combination with the conveyer, of a plurality of working floors served thereby, one set of spouts leading from the conveyer to an upper floor, another set leading from the upper floor to a lower one, means for discharg ing from the conveyer into any desired spout ofthe first series, means for discharging from the spouts of the first series on to the upper floor or directly into the spouts of the second series, as may be desired, and means for adjusting the spouts of one set so that they will discharge at difi'erent points on their floor.

3. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the conveyor, of the plurality of working floors it is adapted to serve, a spout into which said conveyor delivers adapted to discharge on an upper floor, a spout adapted to discharge on a lower floor, and means for causing the first spout to discharge into the second spout or upon the upper floor, as desired.

1. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the conveyer, of the plurality of working floors it is adapted to serve, a spout into which said conveyer delivers adapted to discharge on an upper floor, a spout adapted to discharge on a lower floor, and means for causing the first spout to discharge into the second or upon the upper floor, as desired, consisting of a trap door in the bottom of the first spout which when opened permits the material to discharge into the lower spout.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the conveyer, of the plurality of working floors it is adapted to serve, a spout into which said conveyor de livers adapted to discharge on an upper floor,

a spout adapted to discharge on a lower floor,

and. means for causing the first spout to dis charge into the second or upon the upper floor, as desired, consisting of a trap door hinged at its lower edge in the bottom of the first spout and adapted in'one position to form a part of the bottom, and in the other position to stop the further flow of the mate rial and cause it to fall through the aperture formed thereby.

6. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the conveyer, of the plurality of working floors it is adapted to serve, a. spout into which said eonveyer deliversadapted to d scharge on an upper floor, a spout having an adjustable discharge end adapted to discharge on a lower floor,

means for causing the first spout to discharge into the second spout or upon the upper fioor, as desired, and means for holding the adjustable spouts in any desired position of adjustment.

7. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination .with the conveyer, of the plurality of working floors it is adapted to serve, a spout into which said conveyer delivers adapted to discharge on an upper floor, a spout having an adjustable discharge end adapted to discharge on a lower floor,

means for causing the first spout to discharge intothe second spout or upon the upper floor, as desired, and means for holding the adjustable spouts in any desired position of adjustment, said means consisting of a rope secured'to the lower end of the adjustable portion of the spout, sheaves over which the rope passes and fastening means to secure said rope. 8. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the supply conveyer, of a plurality of spouts into any one of which said conveyer delivers, said spouts being adapted to dischar e on an upper floor, a corresponding pluraIity of spouts adapted to discharge on a lower floor, means for causing any of the first series of spouts to discharge into the corresponding second spout or upon the upper floor, as desired, a discharge conveyer beneath the lowermost floor, and chutes leading from the upper floors to said discharge conveyer. v

9. In an apparatus-of the class described, the combination with the supply conveyer, of a plurality of spouts into any one of which said conveyer delivers, said spout being adapted to dischar e on an upper floor, a

corresponding pluraIity of spouts adapted to discharge on a lower floor, said spouts having their discharge ends adjustable for the purpose described, means for securing the adjustable ends of said spouts in any desired position of adjustment, means for causing any one of the first series of spouts to d1scharge into the associated spout of the secthe combination with the corn conveyer 0nd series or upon the upper floor, as desired, a discharge conveyer beneath the lowermost floor, and chutes leading from the upper floors to said discharge conveyer.

10. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the conveyer, of a plurality of spouts beneath said conveyer into any one of which said conveyer delivers, said' spouts being adapted to discharge upon an upper floor and having their alternate discharge ends pointing in opposite directions, a corresponding series of spouts adapted to discharge on a lower floor and similarly alternated, and means for causing any of the first series of spouts to discharge into its asv sociated spout in the second series or upon the upper floor, as desired.

11. In an apparatus of the class described, the combination with the plurality of work- ,ing floors, of the corn conveyer extending above the uppermost of said floors, the husk conveyer extending below the lowermost floor, a plurality of spouts into which the corn conveyer delivers, means for discharging from said spouts upon any desired floor, and discharge chutes connecting the upper floors with the husk conveyer.

12. In an apparatus of the class described, on an upper floor, of a husk conveyer directly beneath it on a lower floor, a plurality of spouts into which the corn conveyer delivers, the alternate spouts extending on opposite sides of the convey er, means for discharging from said spouts upon any des'ired'fioor, and discharge chutes connecting the upper floors with the husk conveyers, said chutes extending from apertures in the upper floor located between the spaces occupied by the alternately directed spouts.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 7th day of April, 1905.

DANIEL W. ARCHER. 

